My Halal Kitchen | Inspiration for Wholesome Living » Crescenthttp://myhalalkitchen.com
with Yvonne MaffeiTue, 31 Mar 2015 03:08:14 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Grill Pan Giveaway by Crescent Foods: CLOSEDhttp://myhalalkitchen.com/grill-pan-giveaway/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/grill-pan-giveaway/#commentsMon, 15 Dec 2014 12:25:10 +0000http://myhalalkitchen.com/?p=19028Get those great grill marks on your perfectly-cut steaks while enjoying the indoor grilling that winter time brings with this sturdy pre-seasoned grill pan by Calphalon! This giveaway is sponsored by Crescent Foods, made famous for their antibiotic-free, humanely-raised halal poultry products, is now offering a wonderful array of grass-fed, grass-finished Angus beef products. Find out more about those ...

]]>Get those great grill marks on your perfectly-cut steaks while enjoying the indoor grilling that winter time brings with this sturdy pre-seasoned grill pan by Calphalon! This giveaway is sponsored by Crescent Foods, made famous for their antibiotic-free, humanely-raised halal poultry products, is now offering a wonderful array of grass-fed, grass-finished Angus beef products. Find out more about those here.

How to Enter:

Enter a relevant comment as a form of entry.

Participants must follow Crescent Foods on Twitter OR like Crescent Foods on Facebook to be eligible to win.

“This product will ship directly to the winner. Winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be asked for shipping information. No P.O. Boxes accepted.”

Crescent Foods is the leading provider in All Natural Premium Chicken & Grass-fed, Grass-finished Angus Beef products. They believe in the highest stands of quality including humane handling, pure feed, and no antibiotics or hormones administered. Please visit www.crescenthalal.com for more information.

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/grill-pan-giveaway/feed/46Classic Roasted Chicken with Fall Vegetableshttp://myhalalkitchen.com/roasted-chicken-fall-vegetables/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/roasted-chicken-fall-vegetables/#commentsThu, 20 Nov 2014 15:34:00 +0000http://myhalalkitchen.com/?p=18799Everyone loves a classic roasted chicken and there are countless recipes in the world on to make the perfect one, and I certainly have my own that I stick to pretty much every time I have a craving for the comfort food that it is.What’s my secret? Two things: 1) Butter and 2) fresh herbs. ...

]]>Everyone loves a classic roasted chicken and there are countless recipes in the world on to make the perfect one, and I certainly have my own that I stick to pretty much every time I have a craving for the comfort food that it is.What’s my secret?

Two things:

1) Butter and 2) fresh herbs.

They’re stuffed right under the bird’s skin and before roasting so that you don’t need to put much, if any oil on top or worry about basting the bird while cooking, either. You can also season the butter prior to stuffing it, but I simply season the top of the bird because it’s just less messy that way.

This beautiful bird below is a Crescent Halal chicken (whole roaster) that I purchase at my local Joe Caputo & Sons. They’re antibiotic-free, hormone-free, vegetarian-fed, 100% halal raised and processed (I’ve actually seen how it’s done, farm to fork both here and here).

I also tie the bird with cooking twine- once around the feet and once or twice around the body both vertically and horizontally so that it will cook more evenly and the wing tips don’t burn. You can also do this with turkey, on a much larger scale of course.

Speaking of temperature, it’s imperative to check the internal temperature of any meat and to do it away from the bone. It’s best to have a meat thermometer on hand for things like roasted chicken, turkey, pot roasts, lamb shanks, etc. All you have to do is know what’s the ‘done’ or ‘safe’ temperature for the type of meat and cut. In the case of roasted chicken, 165° F away from the bone (which is hotter) is considered safe by the USDA. Enter our giveaway here, sponsored by Crescent Foods, for your very own meat thermometer.

I also love to have vegetables with my chicken, pretty much any root vegetables like potatoes and carrots, especially in the Fall and Winter seasons, although I don’t cook them with the chicken (i.e. same pan); instead I put the bird on its own roasting pan and let it have its space and then in another part of the oven like on a separate rack, I let the vegetables roast with their own seasons, and of course olive oil and/or butter, too. It prevents the bird from sitting in oil while cooking and then worrying about all the separate cooking temperatures to deal with.

Enjoy the warmth of being indoors and cozy with family and friends over wonderful, delicious and healthy halal food this winter and give this recipe a try to see if it’ll be your go-to roasted chicken recipe, too.

Classic Roasted Chicken with Fall Vegetables

2014-11-20 01:27:29

Make a tasty, homemade roasted chicken without a lot of fuss, mess, or time spent checking on it in the oven. This classic roasted chicken recipe will have you coming back to make it again and again.

Wash and pat dry chicken. To the butter, add herbs and seasonings (optional). If adding herbs to the butter, use a piping bag or plastic bag with the corner snipped off then add the seasoned butter and push to the edge, holding the top with your fist. Pipe the butter under the skin of the chicken's breast. Once it's all piped, push down on the skin of the chicken and spread out the butter with your fingers. You can also do this with plain butter, or simply take small pats of butter and push under the skin.

Next, wrap the chicken's wings with the legs to hold them in and tie tightly. Do the same with the feet.

Place the chicken on a roasting pan or rack inside a pan, breast side up. Pour ½ cup water at the bottom of the pan to allow for moisture during cooking.

Bake the chicken, uncovered, for 45 minutes. In the meantime, clean and cut the vegetables.

When the chicken has already cooked for 25 minutes, add vegetables to a separate roasting pan, then season and salt them. Place on the bottom rack of the oven, uncovered.

Turn heat up to 375°F and cook another 20 minutes or until chicken is brown and reads at least 165°F on an internal meat thermometer.

Remove both the chicken and the vegetables and place on a serving platter together. Remove the fresh rosemary and the kitchen twine from the roaster and serve.

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/roasted-chicken-fall-vegetables/feed/2Sweet & Sour Beefhttp://myhalalkitchen.com/sweet-sour-beef/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/sweet-sour-beef/#commentsSat, 21 Jun 2014 16:29:46 +0000http://myhalalkitchen.com/?p=17032I don’t make Asian food that often at home, but I really do love it. I recently had a real craving for sweet and sour something- whether it be seafood, beef or chicken. Many of the recipes I found used ketchup for the sauce (which I’m not a huge fan of when it comes to cooking ...

]]>I don’t make Asian food that often at home, but I really do love it. I recently had a real craving for sweet and sour something- whether it be seafood, beef or chicken. Many of the recipes I found used ketchup for the sauce (which I’m not a huge fan of when it comes to cooking with it) and other prepared sauces for the ‘sweet and sour’ part. Instead, I tested my own version of a homemade sweet and sour combination that worked really well, especially with the new grass-fed, grass-finished Angus beef stew cubes from Crescent Foods (shown below). As with their chicken products, the beef has no antibiotics or hormones in it. You can imagine the taste, and as for the recipe, the result was delicious and easy- I hope you’ll try it, too.

The ingredients I used are fairly simple and can be found in just about any grocery store international aisle: cane sugar, pineapple vinegar (or any fruity vinegar), tomato sauce, sesame oil or toasted sesame oil (or a combination of the two).

I also used some greens from my garden: kale, spinach, celery and Swiss chard. You can use just one of these, if you like.

If I had to choose just one, it would be kale- it’s thicker than spinach and tends to hold onto the meat a little better, if that’s all the greens you’re using.

But the Swiss chard does add some nice color when using the stems.

I also added carrots- shredded, but also the leftover chunky parts, as nothing is wasted. Garlic, too. Of course.

The new grass fed-grass finished beef cubes from Crescent is a nice surprise. The company is known for their superb, high-quality chicken products, so the beef was a must-try in this case. They’re making my life a whole lot easier by offering beef!

After everything is chopped, the larger parts plus the onion and garlic get sautéd in the sesame oil. You can use a wok or Dutch oven to do this.

I added ground ginger for added spice because I didn’t have fresh on hand. Either one works and freshly chopped is always preferable- to me, anyway.

Use high heat once those ingredients are in the pot.

Add the beef cubes. These looked fabulous.

And the tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar and corn starch.

Then the greens and shredded carrots, basically the thin stuff.

Now we’re seeing more color, which is always nice when you’re about to eat the dish soon after cooking it. Makes it so much more appealing.

Then you’ll need to cover it, reduce the heat and let the beef cook. The greens will actually add moisture to the meat, making it nice and soft after about 25 minutes. I like to serve it over rice or noodles, but I could it all by itself, too.

*UPDATE* this giveaway is now closed. The winner is Madiha. Please contact us as soon as possible with your mailing address. Thanks, everyone!

About the Giveaway:

To make this dish even easier and more fun to make, Crescent Foods is giving away a NorPro 14″ 10 Piece Wok Set to ONE randomly-selected winner. With it you’ll have everything you need to make stir-fry night a fun adventure with your family or friends! Made of durable carbon steel, this wok will help you cook your stir-fried veggies, rice and meats to perfection. Includes a lid to help steam your dishes and cooking chopsticks, a turner, and a ladle to accommodate a variety of dishes and cooking styles. Also includes a reversible burner ring, tempura rack, dining chopsticks, wire steaming rack, and recipe book. Hand washing recommended. Wok measures 14in/35.5cm in diameter.

Please read the Official MHK Giveaway Guidelines before entering, as leaving a comment indicates you have done so and understand the terms. Giveaway ends on June 26, 2014 at 12:01 am CST.

Crescent Foods is the leading provider in All Natural Premium Chicken & Grass-fed, Grass-finished Angus Beef products. We believe in the highest stands of quality including humane handling, pure feed, and no antibiotics or hormones administered in our products. Please visit www.crescenthalal.com for more information.

Sweet and Sour Beef

2014-06-21 11:01:15

A quick and easy way to make your own sweet and sour dish from scratch, without any boxed sauces or spice mixes. You can easily swap chicken or fish for the beef in this dish, although cooking times may vary.

Heat the sesame oil in a large Dutch oven or wok, watching carefully as not to burn it.

Add the red onion, scallions and the chopped stems of the Swiss chard, spinach, celery and carrot chunks, sautéing until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Stir often so as not to burn the garlic.

Add the beef cubes and gently brown on each side.

Pour in the vinegar, then add the sugar and cornstarch. Stir swiftly so that the mixture begins to thicken. Add the tomato sauce and combine it thoroughly. Add more sesame oil at any point in which the ingredients seem to dry out.

Add the leaves of the Swiss chard, Spinach and kale. Stir to combine then reduce the heat and cover the pan.

Let cook on low, for about 25 minutes, or until meat has softened and is cooked thoroughly.Finish with a few drops of toasted sesame oil, if desired.

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/sweet-sour-beef/feed/39A Fascinating Glimpse at the Crescent Foods Plant Tourhttp://myhalalkitchen.com/a-fascinating-glimpse-at-the-crescent-foods-plant-tour/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/a-fascinating-glimpse-at-the-crescent-foods-plant-tour/#commentsMon, 16 Sep 2013 14:54:10 +0000http://myhalalkitchen.com/?p=15275Growing up in small-town Ohio I had a lot of opportunities to see how things were made, whether they were apples into apple cider at the local orchard, fruits into jam at a small nearby farm or potatoes into potato chips at the area’s largest food factory, it was all part of the things kids ...

]]>Growing up in small-town Ohio I had a lot of opportunities to see how things were made, whether they were apples into apple cider at the local orchard, fruits into jam at a small nearby farm or potatoes into potato chips at the area’s largest food factory, it was all part of the things kids did on a field trip or day out with the family. I loved learning at a young age how something went from raw product to an entirely packaged material that people would actually buy in a store- the process fascinated me then and it still fascinates me today.

That’s why I asked if I could go to to the Crescent Foods plant located in oahur backyard here in Chicagoland so I could see how one takes a simple raw product like a whole bird and make it look so clean and beautiful on store shelves- all in a day’s work of this family-run halal poultry business started by Mr. Ahmad Adam and run with help of an incredibly dedicated staff.

They were kind enough to accept my offer. I made my way through downtown Chicago and far into the commercial area of the city where lots of other businesses hold large logistical operations for their companies. Needless to say, it’s a busy area- but how could you miss the fact that Crescent has a presence when their beautifully-photographed trucks are all over the place. Makes you kind of hungry, actually…

I was greeted by the team I’m most familiar with- Joohi Tahir in Marketing, Asma Khan in Operations and of course, Br. Ahmad Adam, the ever-present Founder and CEO as well as his two sons who are a clearly integral part of operating the company so well.

This was clearly a place where serious operations happen. So serious that in order to get into every critical access point of the plant, one has to pass through the state-of-the-art biometric recognition technology (fingerprint recognition)- talk about safeguarding halal right from the start.

As I entered, I got a sense of calm urgency- what I mean is that there wasn’t any sort of frenzy about the place but certainly big things were on everyone’s minds from the woman in HR to the security officer up front watching about 25 cameras (seriously) to the salesman within the offices. I was about to find out all about that.

Here was the first sign I saw upon entering:

Don’t mess with the USDA- they can come any time they want, unannounced. That’s their job, and they have an office at the plant to prove it. They check on everything, and if anything at all- big or small- is out of place, the plant can be shut down until things are perfectly back in order.

Keep in mind that no live poultry is at this plant; it’s all raw poultry that’s being processed and packaged.

Here was another order of business I saw a little later in the tour, but a paper copy is actually posted at the large garage entrance of the plant where trucks enter the building to load or unload. It’s critical that it be visible to prove authenticity and transparency, which ultimately speaks to the integrity of the business. I was told that the Sharia Board makes unannounced audits to Indiana where the poultry is actually raised and hand-slaughtered.

Also within the over 26,000 SF plant, although inherent or perhaps ‘understood’ in a halal business enterprise, I never expected to actually see a sign that cemented the fact that absolutely no pork would be allowed to enter the premises- it’s also in Spanish, and I saw it in a couple places throughout the plant, particularly where workers gather to eat.

When you visit a food plant, you expect to see machinery, of course. How else would food be shaped, cut, and cranked out so fast, right?

I just didn’t expect to see SO much machinery– and enormous, advanced and well-kept machinery as I did here.

This (below) is the type of stuff that will crank out your kids’ perfectly-formed, perfectly breaded, Halal, antibiotic-free chicken nuggets. I mean, in the thousands…

These machines below were super interesting- we almost need something like this at home, albeit on a smaller scale. They pull the chicken apart as much as possible, separating it so that the remaining parts can be sold to other businesses who use it to make chicken broth or perhaps grind the bones up for pet food, etc. I’m sure there are multiple uses. Just picture the family pet eating halal, too…

If you know anything about Crescent Foods, they sell beautifully-packaged chicken in tray packs and whole fryers in nice and clean bags for easy removal. But, did you know that they also provide their chicken on a wholesale basis to some retailers, too?

And they of course ship their tray packs all across the country, including to many Walmart stores.

As you might realize, it’s not easy to get a product into Walmart. That said, I think I now understand why Crescent products are there. It all makes sense after seeing how wonderfully organized, clean and well-planned out this plant is, of course, but that’s only one element. Not shown here, but they also have an incredibly advanced tracking system to locate every single package that goes out the door and all of their trucks are equipped with GPS systems so that they can be located quickly. It would over-simplify the system if I said it tracked the date/time/lot/destination, as there are so many other variables included that if there’s any issue with any of their products, they’ll know exactly what they need to know to figure out the issue and find a solution- in a nutshell, it’s their recall policy system in place, something they’ve never had to use in eighteen years, alhamdullilah, mashallah.

During the tour, Mr. Adam himself explained to me a lot of technical things that he implemented into the building when he bought it and gutted it completely. It used to be a large warehouse that manufactured elevators- can you imagine what it took to bring it up to an acceptable state for the production of poultry processing? He thought of everything, subhanallah.

If you read my interview with Mr. Adam in the past, you’ll know he is trained as an electrical engineer, so his mind works in ways that can solve problems where others may be confused and overwhelmed by them.

Even the direction in which these tray packs are handled and stored was thought out by Mr. Adam. May seem like something minor, but it matters a lot when you’re dealing with space and efficiency for maximum productivity.

Just my own after-thought, but I wonder if he was implementing tools from Lean Six Sigma when he designed this plant? I should have asked that question..I’m actually taking cues from this- it’s very helpful when designing a kitchen and a home, too- maximum efficiency for productivity is useful anywhere.

Now here’s something I recognize well- tray packs-so that’s how they look before anything is added to them?

This area of the plant is where the tray packs are filled- notice how much protective wear everyone has on- this was very closely monitored by one woman outside of these doors whose job function surrounded making sure anyone who stepped into the factory floor area was covered up properly in order to not contaminate the poultry.

Serious coverage.

And clean, beautiful poultry without any smell. The entire plant didn’t have a smell.

And that’s way it’s supposed to be. Unless things are being actually cooked, food plants shouldn’t have the smell of raw product or rotting foods, obviously. If it did, you would notice.

I couldn’t get over how meticulous the process was and how calm the atmosphere appeared, too. This was probably the loudest area of the plant, but it wasn’t as though you couldn’t hear yourself talking; it was just the machinery that made the obvious and necessary sounds.

And then comes what we, the consumers, recognize the most: labeling.

That’s how it’s done.

I love taking the mystery out of things. Especially meat.

…and how in the world they every get all that plastic around so many large boxes…

…and how it’s all stored, when necessary, in the freezer like it is below (not all Crescent poultry is frozen- actually most of it is sold fresh, but there are some instances in which it is kept colder in order to fulfill a certain shipment. In fact, temperature control is serious business at this plant. I was told specifically, “the production rooms where chicken is handled is maintained at 40 degrees or less to ensure that poultry never reaches any dangerous temperatures. The refrigerated trucks also transport products at this controlled temperature. If the temperature of the coolers or freezer should fall, sensors go off and the security company calls us to tell us exactly at which point and at what temperature it happened. There is 24 hour surveillance.”

And by the way, Mr. Adam even thought about all the venting and cooling systems throughout the plant and installed the very best and most advanced possible in order to prevent any type of cross contamination that might be circulating in the air to contaminate the chicken. Of course those are my words to sum it up. He explained it a whole lot more eloquently and technically than I ever could, but the point is that the lengths that were sought after to ensure the quality and integrity of the product is astounding.

A gutted warehouse not-so-fit-for-a-poultry-processing-plant that has been turned into a state of the art facility where dhabiha halal chicken is centrally located to be shipped to a store near you…it’s truly a feat of humanity, and perhaps you have to have been there to grasp that fact, but I hope some of the photos illustrate the magnitude of importance of this. In a day and age when there is so much to be wary of in terms of where our food comes from and how it’s processed, transparency is important. Knowing something about the businesses you buy from is key to good health in terms of food safety, but also in terms of their authenticity of providing a halal product. Not all halal products are equal in that regard, and that’s what I liked about spending the morning at their plant. There was nothing to hide and everything to show- every door was opened and pipe explained (really) and all with an intense desire to show- not out of obligation. I think that’s critical to share.

And they thought it was critical to share a meal at the end of the tour. Talk about hospitality!

I knew the one thing I started to smell towards the end of the tour was something amazing being cooked- I thought perhaps they were testing recipes or something of that nature. As it turns out, Mr. Adam’s brother, “Abu J”, was preparing lunch for us- actually, it was more like a feast.

Rice with chicken, of course (above) and zucchini stuffed with ground…chicken (below).

This is no typical lunch, at least not a power lunch you’d find in most companies.

It felt like an international buffet was brought out to us: healthy salad, breaded tilapia, cajun French fries (yum) and of course, more chicken. Flavored deliciously. Soon thereafter we all had a conversation about spice.

Can I work here?

From right to left (Abu J, Mr. Adam and myself- with my eyes half open for some odd reason).

And there you have it- a hard-working family that has persevered to create a company with the idea of providing clean, all-natural poultry products not just to the Muslim community but to all people interested in consuming food that’s consumed well and has been processed well. That’s taking care of a product from farm to fork, quite literally- as you can see here…

What else would you like to know about how Crescent products are brought to your table?

]]>http://myhalalkitchen.com/a-fascinating-glimpse-at-the-crescent-foods-plant-tour/feed/9Buffalo Wingshttp://myhalalkitchen.com/buffalo-wings-recipe-and-a-great-giveaway-from-crescent-foods-halal-poultry/
http://myhalalkitchen.com/buffalo-wings-recipe-and-a-great-giveaway-from-crescent-foods-halal-poultry/#commentsThu, 09 Aug 2012 09:57:00 +0000http://www.myhalalkitchen.com/?p=11144One of my favorite summertime recipes is for Buffalo Wings. The first time I ever had them was way back in college- it was the late night food of choice with friends- we didn’t have a care in the world about eating spicy food at that hour, or any food at all for that matter. ...

]]>One of my favorite summertime recipes is for Buffalo Wings. The first time I ever had them was way back in college- it was the late night food of choice with friends- we didn’t have a care in the world about eating spicy food at that hour, or any food at all for that matter. It was quick, easy, inexpensive, greasy and just so so good…

Fast forward to years later when I became Muslim and everything changed (particularly the late nights out), but most noticeably my food choices. If I wanted halal chicken, I would have to go to a live poultry house in Chicago, or if I was lucky, a halal butcher would have chicken- but it would take nearly 30 minutes of waiting for them to cut it up before I could get out the door. Never mind the instructions to cut the wings in half so I could make Buffalo Wings- huh?

Crescent Foods Halal Poultry at Walmart near Detroit, MI

It took some time for me to find Crescent chicken products, but when I found them it was love at first sight. They were the first halal poultry product I saw that was packaged in neat and clean trays that were labeled. Labeled, telling me exactly what kind of cut of meat was there. They were a brand. They were a company I could call and ask and get answers from about their products. To some people, this may not have meant much- either they were used to and happy with buying the whole animal at all times from the butcher; perhaps they were buying non-dhabiha meats at the big box grocery store that was nicely packaged, too. But to me, this meant that a whole new world of cooking halal just got easier. Quicker. Better.

The beautiful Crescent Whole Fryer with their new packaging and logo design- so fresh!

Not only was their meat halal, but I quickly learned that they took great care to make sure the chickens are well-kept (cage-free), well-fed (vegetarian), free of hormones and anything artificial. When I dug a little deeper and met the people at Crescent, I knew I had a found a gem- they care so much about doing things right and truly strive to serve the people (us) by doing things appropriately halal every step of the way. You can read my interview with the founder and owner here.

Needless to say, I’ve been cooking with Crescent for many years and they have more products than I’m able to show you in just one recipe, but if you go to a Walmart, you may just find them since they’re now in 62 stores throughout the U.S., masha’allah. Read more about that here.

So began my own experimentation to re-create my favorite restaurant dishes with my newly-discovered halal chicken and out came this recipe my family loves for homemade Buffalo Wings. You can put them out on the grill or bake them in the oven. Either way, they really are good enough to stock up on the wings so that you can make them often this summer…

I always try to start out with the best quality ingredients I can get my hands on. In this case, it’s freshly-ground pepper, sea salt, Hungarian paprika (smoked), tabasco or a Mexican hot sauce, butter (key ingredient- don’t replace with oil or margarine), and some good old-fashioned chili powder.

Don’t worry- you can control the spice level to make them milder or hotter than my recipe. Just experiment until you get it the way your family loves it.

As I said about the butter- don’t replace it with a non-natural alternative. It just doesn’t taste the same. Go with any brand that’s pure, just as long as it’s REAL butter. Trust me.

As far as hot sauce goes, the above-photographed McIlhenny Co. is the most commonly found but it certainly isn’t the only one you can use. I love the ones found in Mexican stores, particularly the Valentina brand (they have mild and hot) and it’s the one I use most in this recipe.

On to yogurt and sour cream- you’ll need these plus some crumbly feta to make an amazing dip for your wings (and the celery sticks that must accompany them)

Get the good stuff without all the hormones. I like whole milk yogurt best- no fillers.

You can also get the Middle Eastern Style, Old Country Style, or Greek Style- that just means they’re nice and thick and creamy.

And then, of course, you need the wings…so they can look like something that (below) when done.

Buffalo Chicken Wings with Creamy Feta Dip

Whether you like mild or spicy chicken wings, with this recipe you can gauge the spice level to kick it up a notch or tone it down to a more mild spice flavor by changing the amounts of chili powder, paprika and tabasco according to your preference. Whether grilled or cooked in the oven, these wings are fantastic with the accompanying creamy feta dip and, of course, some celery.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place wings on the paper, several inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes and turn over. Bake another 10 minutes. Place wings under broiler for 2-3 minutes, remove and cool slightly before serving.

-If using the grill-

Line grill grates with aluminum foil and place wings several inches apart. Grill, covered, for 12-15 minutes per side or until the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165° F.

Ingredients for Dip

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whole milk yogurt

1/2 cup feta cheese

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions for Dip

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or large mixing bowl.

Place dip in a large bowl and set aside.

Arrange whole lettuce leaves around a platter and serve wings on top of the lettuce leaves, which are perfect for wrapping the wings topped with the creamy dip.

About the Giveaway

Crescent Foods is giving away coupons to TEN randomly-selected individuals who post a relevant comment to this post.

Tell us where you go to get halal poultry products AND once you have them, what are your favorite recipes to make?

To enter, please read our Official Giveaway Guidelines page first then add a relevant comment in order to be entered. Entering indicates you have read them. Giveaway ends at 12:01 am on August 14, 2012.